This invention relates to a device for drawing lines, and more particularly concerns a device for drawing four continuous lines on paper or the like.
Various multiple line drawing instruments have earlier been disclosed, each being intended for a specific purpose. Such instruments usually have a number of fixed drawing means oriented in a manner to render a series of uniformly spaced parallel lines. Such drawing instruments are limited to marking lines on a planar surface. The fixed drawing means are generally incapable of marking on surfaces which are rough or curved because one or more of the fixed drawing means may leave the drawing surface due to imperfections or contours in the surface. In addition, the drawing means may experience wear at different rates, and may consequently have unequal lengths, thereby preventing simultaneous contact of all drawing means with the drawing surface.
Upon arrival at the scene of an automobile accident, a police officer or other investigator usually fills out an accident report explaining in detail the accident scene. As part of this report, the automobile's skid marks are drawn to scale on a diagram of the road. Such skid marks are made on the pavement simultaneously by the four tires of an automobile and may be straight, curved, or looped, yet derived from the fixed rectangular array of the tires. The skid marks are difficult for the officer or investigator to reproduce due to the complicated geometry of the marks and the inability of the officer to maintain the constant rectangular juxtaposition of the four points that generate the skid marks on the accident report.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a line drawing instrument having four drawing means juxtapositioned in a rectangular array.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multiple line drawing instrument capable of drawing continuous lines on imperfect planes and other surfaces.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a multiple line drawing instrument of the aforesaid type having replacable drawing means.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a line drawing instrument of the aforesaid nature of simple construction, easy to use, and amenable to low cost manufacture.